Naruto: A TaleSpin Tale
by Karasu87
Summary: Higher for Hire gets a foxy new worker, who makes things a little more chaotic. Can Rebecca handle him? Is love in the air? Will things ever be the same? Only time will tell... Merged chapters 1 and 2, and rewritten the story.
1. Chapter 1

Naruto: A TaleSpin Tale

Chapter 1: Welcome to Higher For Hire!

A figure walked up to the door of Higher for Hire. A fedora covered his head and most of his face from view. All that could be seen was a long light brown snout that poked out. He wore a red opened coat, with a white shirt underneath. A pair a blue pants, where a brown tail lazily waved behind it.

He raised a brown paw and was just about to knock, when an explosion was heard. He grabbed onto his hat as it almost fell off.

He glanced around and a chuckle escaped his throat as he saw a lion in a mechanics outfit. His face was covered in soot. Oil patches stained his fur. But the smile on the mechanics face made him smile. It's rare to find something that loved their work Behind the mechanic, was a yellow sea plane. The waves from the ocean caused it to bounce up and down. He gave a whistle at the gorgeous plane. The mechanic, who heard the whistle, looked over at him and waved excitedly.

The man turned back to the door and gave it a few raps. Not hearing anything, he gave knocked a tad harder and louder. After a few seconds, the sounds of shuffling was heard. The figure backed up as the door swung open and a cub that wore a green sweatshirt and a baseball cap stood there. The cub examined the figure and squinted up at the figures shadowy face.

"May I help you?" The cub asked. Not really expecting any one. They usually call first, unless they're dept collectors or some other shadowy person.

"Yes…" The figure spoke. His voice friendly and soft. "I talked to someone yesterday over the phone about a job." He brought up his paw and rubbed his snout as he remembered something. "I believe her name is Miss Cunningham."

"Hmm." Kit mumbled before he nodded his head. He _did _remember Becky saying something about an interview today. "Alright." He motioned for the man to follow him.

The man followed after the cub. He closed the door behind him, he didn't want to get on the bad side of his new possible new boss after all. He paused in his walk when a snore entered his hear. He glanced up the nearby stairs, then at the laughing cub.

"That's just Baloo." The cub motioned to a female bear writing away at her desk. She has brown fur and her muzzle is a light yellow. She wore a red jacket and her face was in deep concentration. "And that's Miss Rebecca. Or Becky for short."

The figure gave a nod, but before he could say thanks, the cub rushed up stairs. The man walked up to the desk. He saw pictures of the cub, Rebecca, a larger bear and a small female cub. One would almost think they were a female, but over the phone she indicated herself as 'miss' and the cub also said 'miss'. The woman still didn't notice him, so he cleared his throat. Still not hearing him due to the racket upstairs, he coughed into his paw.

Startled, the woman shook her head and looked at the figure. She looked confused, but then realization dawned on her.

"You must be the man I talked to about the job?" Rebecca said. She looked him up and down, but frowned at the fedora, which the man saw.

"That I am." He slowly took off his hat. His blond hair was in spikes. A pair of brown ears stuck straight up. His blue eyes shone with innocence and happiness. A fanged smile grew on his face, a smile that would smaller animals running. He placed his fedora on the desk. "Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki at your service."

Rebecca inclined her head for the man to take a seat. "Strange name. But, I've heard stranger. One being the snoring person upstairs."

Naruto chuckled at that and scratched his left ear. "I'm from an island in the east. I live to explore! Then I heard about Higher for Hire… and it sounded like a blast."

Rebecca nodded and started to write in a notepad. She looked up at Naruto, then jotted down a few things. She looked back up and tapped her pencil a few times.

"What are your qualification?" The woman said with another tap of the pencil.

Naruto smiled. "My family were farmers, so I'm pretty good with labor." He scratched his ear again. Rebecca blushed a little at the cute look. For some reason, when he does that, he looked adorable. She shook her head and went back to business mode. "My grandpa was great at kung fu… even though he was an ape. He taught me a few tricks."

"What about piloting?" She asked while she wrote everything he said down. Also ignoring the little doodle she drew.

Naruto closed his eyes as he thought about it. But after a few seconds, he opened them. "I know a little. My friends brother became a freelance pilot. He taught me the basics."

Rebecca nodded. She wrote it down while also ignoring the loud talking coming from upstairs. "Good, good." She then gave him a smile. "When can you start? We really need the extra help."

The ears on his head went flat as he scratched the back of his head. Rebecca shook her head to get rid of her cuteness thoughts. Only her daughter brought those up.

"Well… I was hoping to start today. I don't… really have a place to stay." Naruto said with a nervous chuckle.

Rebecca sighed. "I can let you stay here. If you pick up after yourself, that is." She looked up the stairs. "Hope you don't mind roommates."

"Not at all. I'm a very clean person." Naruto replied as they both stood up. She held out her hand, which he eagerly took. "Thank you!"

Rebecca walked around her desk and started to walk up stairs.

"I guess I'll introduce you to the rest of the crew."

Naruto watched Rebecca walk up the stairs. He shook his head as he realized he was staring, he started up the stairs. Yelling was heard, followed by a loud thump, indicating something fell.

Entering the room, Naruto Rebecca standing over a large bear that fell out of his hammock. The cub stood off to the side, his paw slapped his face.

After a few minutes of yelling, Naruto stood in front of his new crewmates. Each looked him up and down. He started to sweat from standing in front of the three bears.

The large bear with a flight cap on smiled and threw his large paw forward. Naruto smiled as his fears melted away. He threw his paw forward and shook paws with the bear.

"I'm Baloo. Glad to have you aboard." Taking back his hand, he placed it on top of the cub's head and gave him a noogie. "And this here is Lil' Britches."

Baloo gave a laugh as the cub fixed his baseball cap with a pout. Once his cap was straight, he threw out his smaller paw.

"Kit Cloudkicker!" Naruto shook the smaller Kit's paws.

"Pleasure to meet you guys." Naruto said once he took back his paw. "Naruto Uzumaki."

Baloo looked around the room. "Where's Wildcat?" He looked at Naruto. "He's our mechanic. If you want something fixed… go to him."

Naruto nodded. But his mind flashed as he remembered something. "I believe I met him earlier. Seemed like a nice guy."

"Yep. That's Wildcat." Baloo yawned.

It was then that Rebecca remembered something. "Ah, you haven't met my daughter, yet."

Naruto looked shocked. "Can't believe someone as young and beautiful has a daughter."

Baloo laughed at that and whispered, "Smooth with the ladies." Kit laughed at that.

Rebecca tried to shake off her growing blush. "It's hard being a single mother…" Her blush slowly started to fade. "But Molly is my life and I wouldn't have it any other way."

As the group spent a few minutes of getting to know each other, an idea popped into Baloo's head. "Beckers… how about letting me introduce our new friend to Louie." Baloo suggested as he hooked his arm around Naruto.

Rebecca sighed. "Alright." She gained a dangerous look in her eyes. "But if a job pops up…" She left hanging.

"Don't worry!" Baloo said quickly.

"Yeah. We'll be ready. I'll make sure of it." Kit said for Baloo.

"You better be…" She warned. She gave Naruto a small smile as Baloo and Kit quickly nodded and started to drag him out. Before vanishing, he gave her a final wave.

As she started to walk down the stairs, she remembered something. "Don't corrupt him with your laziness!" She yelled after them. _The last thing I need is a second Baloo lazing about…_

XXXXXXXXXXXX

The Sea Duck flew out of the canyon that protects Cape Suzette from Pirates and other threats. The guards that worked the Anti-Aircraft Artillery guns gave the familiar plane a wave as it flew past.

The yellow plane suddenly does a few barrel rolls, followed by a nose dive with a tail spin. It pulled up just before it could hit the water.

Inside the plan, was a different story. A green furred Naruto wobbled and groaned in his seat. He quickly clamped his paw over his muzzle. His cheeks began to inflate. He sucked in air, and gulped down the nasty vile. As he tried to take another deep breath, the vile came back up. He quickly placed his hat in front of him and retched into it. After that episode, he looked at his new coworkers, and promptly growled at seeing both of them laughing at him. He shook his head as the nausea slowly dissipates and his fur regained its shine.

"Sorry about that…" Naruto said. He saw Kit get up from the navigator's seat. "I'm not used to stunts like that."

"Beckers almost lost her lunch too." Baloo said through his laugh.

"What's your relation to Miss Cunningham, if you don't mind me asking?" Naruto asked. He watched as Kit started to dust a silver object. He turned back to Baloo.

"Becky? She's just my boss. But she's also a good friend. When she's not yelling at me." Baloo answered. Unknown to most people, Baloo wasn't oblivious to peoples feelings as many might think.

"So…I'm guessing she's single?" Naruto mumbled. A glint of hope in his eyes.

"First day, and he's already has a thing for the boss." Baloo wiped a fake tear, but then laughed. "We won't stop you if you want to pursue her." After a heartbeat, Baloo turned to him with a face he only saw on his mother. He shivered. "But if you hurt her…"

Baloo pressed a button. Naruto jumped as a screech was heard. He looked in the back and saw the ramp lowering….

"Understood!" Naruto gulped. He hasn't felt this way since he was engaged to a certain lavender cat. Her father scared the living daylights out of him when he gave Naruto the talk. Who knows, maybe Miss Cunningham is the one, unlike what he thought about a certain pink female panther when he was in school. Man, can she screech. He shook his head then he noticed a rope with a handlebar floating out of the open ramp. His eyes grew wide as Kit ran down the ramp like a possessed bear. And before he could yell, Baloo just laughed.

"Never seen cloud surfing, have you?" Baloo said between laughs. Naruto shook his head. "Me either. Until I met Kit."

Naruto watched in awe as Kit leapt from the ramp. In midair, he pressed a button on the silver object and it opened up. Kit landed on the board, grabbed the rope and glided on the sea of clouds.

Kit pulled on the rope, and he ripped through a cloud. He started to do a few stunts. A few flips, a twirl and even a no hand stunt, where he held onto the rope using his feet.

Naruto, who was standing behind Baloo, saw said bear pat the navigator's seat. Naruto walked over an sat down. He turned and looked out his open window, and his looked on in awe. A vast and beautiful ocean was before him. Blue water. And sea creatures leapt high in the air as if they were trying to greet him. He noticed they were getting closer to the surface of the water. He looked in the back and saw Kit gliding atop the water.

With a chuckle, Baloo pulled up and went higher in the sky. When he first came to Cape Suzette, he caught a ride with some of his old friends. They were in a hurry, so he never got to actually enjoy the view.

"Where are we heading?" Naruto asked after a few minutes of silence.

"To Louie's Place." Baloo answered. He looked in the rear view mirror to make sure Kit was still behind the plane.

"Louie's Place?" The lovable fox asked. He scratched his chin. That's the second time he heard them mention Louie.

"It's a nightclub that all the pilots go to." Baloo told him. Kit suddenly appeared next to Naruto's window, and nearly gave said fox a heart attack. But he managed to give the cub a wave. "It's a very hip hangout. Delicious food. Friendly people. And music you can dance to."

"Sounds like fun." Naruto said. He pulled his fedora from out of nowhere and was just about to place it on his head, then realized something. His fur turned a little green as he looked into the hat. Luckily, he kept a spare. He tossed that one behind him, ignoring the 'splat', and pulled a new one from his coat. He placed it on his head, his left ear poked out. Baloo just watched with a small smile.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

The Sea Duck finally landed on the water. It floated and stopped at a dock, where monkey's started to clean the plane and fill up the gas tank.

The three Higher for Hire crew members exited the plan. Naruto stopped in his step, and admired the place.

"Wow." He whistled. Now that he thought about, everything he saw since he came to Cape Suzette had 'wow'd' him. Even his new boss nearly caused him to whistle.

"If ya like that, you should see the inside." Baloo laughed and slapped his new friend in the back. Naruto snapped from his trance and followed the other two inside.

Once inside, Naruto examined the place. Jazz music blasting, and a few people dancing to it. Pilots of all different types sat talking and joking at their tables. He wondered if any of his pilot friends stopped by here before. He turned to the bar where Baloo was currently walking towards an Ape wearing a green shirt and a straw hat. He yelled something, shook up a bottle, poured it, then slid it across the long bar where a pilot chugged it down.

He started heading to the bar when Baloo called him over, but was forced to dodge as several small monkeys swung over head. He wondered how they did that without spilling any of the food and drinks.

As he walked, he saw several female patrons and a few female pilots eyeing him. One even smirked and winked at him. He shook his head. He knew several perverts back home that tried to convert him to their ways. One main one, was his writer god father. He once read the stuff that man red and blushed for about a week. And for some reason, the pages from that book have been appearing in his mind full force.

He just shook his head and gave the woman a polite smile and nod. He pulled down his hat some to hide a small blush. He looked around, and saw Kit shaking his head from the spot next to him. He didn't even know he was there!

"Louie!" Baloo called once Naruto and Kit reached the bar. "The usual for me and Kit." He turned to Naruto. "And whatever my new friend wants."

Naruto looked at the menu behind Louie. "I'll try the Mango juice."

"New friend?" Louie asked as he turned around and started to fix the ordered drinks. After a few seconds, he placed the drinks down in front of the Higher for Hire workers. Naruto was in awe at how Louie used both his hands and feet to fix and mix the drinks. Kit pulled on his pants, which snapped him from his thoughts.

"Naruto Uzumaki." Naruto greeted with a tilt of the hat. "Miss Cunningham hired me earlier today."

"Naruto, eh?" Louie said as he made another drink for Baloo. "Well, any friends of Baloo's, is a friend of mine!" Naruto could've sworn he heard him say, "And Becky's." next to Baloo's name. Naruto took a sip of his juice. And his eyes widened at the delicious taste.

A few hours later…

Only a few pilots remained as the moon started to rise in the sky. Louie's large neon sign started to shine brightly outside. Almost like it was acting as a lighthouse. Naruto and Baloo as laughing at the bar as Baloo, Kit and Louie kept telling the tales and adventures they've been on.

"Really?" Naruto asked as Baloo and Louie told him about what happened between Rebecca and William Stansbury. He felt for her, in a way, it kinda reminded him of his past crushes. And some of the stories they told him sounded farfetched, while others sounded hilarious. Like the time Baloo thought a prison was a weight loss clinic. And now after the Rebecca story, they were telling him about a pirate named Karnage.

"Karnage didn't know what hit him!" Baloo exclaimed with a laugh. Naruto laughed as well, somehow, he can't wait to have a run in with the pirate.

"Hmm?" Feeling something on his shoulder, he saw Kit drifting off. "Looks like someone's tired." He took another sip of his Mango juice.

Baloo yawned. "Yeah…" He stood up and stretched. "Ever think of having kids?"

Naruto took one last gulp of his juice. He placed the glass down. "Yeah. Someday… I hope."

Baloo watched as Naruto stared into his empty glass. "If you're talking about Beckers." He gently picked up Kit. "You'd better treat her right." Baloo gave a smirk and nodded. Louie also nodded along with him.

"Fair enough." Naruto yawned as he stood and stretched. He turned to Louie. "Say, Louie…?" Louie started picking up the empty glasses. "You going to try making that ramen?"

Louie nodded as he wiped a glass. "You got it. Making things like that is a piece of cake. Pound cake!" He placed the clean glass back on the shelf. "Might have to experiment though."

"I look forward to that." Naruto replied.

"We better head back." Baloo told them as he shifted Kit in his arms. "Don't won't Becky getting too bent out of shape." He turned and started for the exit. "Catch ya later, Louie."

"Nice meeting you." Naruto tilted his head as he followed after Baloo.

"Next time, I'll tell you of some of Baloo's embarrassing moments. And my moments of heroics!" Louie called after him.

Naruto just chuckled as he exited the bar. No telling what other adventures awaits the members of Higher for Hire…

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Earlier…

Rebecca sat at her desk. She expected the boys back earlier, but she can understand. They just want to celebrate meeting a new friend and introduce him to everybody. Even she wanted to celebrate, but she had a job to do. Unfortunately, not one call. Zero. A very slow day. She'd even accept the job of delivering sandwiches to the cliff gun guards again.

She sighed. Maybe she should've went to Louie's with the boys, even if it was just to get to know the new worker better. She glanced at the clock on the wall. She left Molly with a babysitter. Her elderly neighbor. She sighed, she should've let her run around Higher for Hire, if anything, to give her something to do!

The phone rang. She suddenly snapped from her thoughts and snatched the phone.

"Higher for Hire!" She greeted with a smile. "If it's late…" She glanced around the quite building. "…feel free to strangle the pilot!" She nodded with a smile as she listened to the voice over the phone. "A flower? That'll be a fragile package. But not a problem." She nodded as she wrote the details onto a piece of paper. She paused. "Professor Catney? Yes, I've heard of him. He's an explorer. Always looking for rare plants. But why couldn't he deliver the package?" She wrote down that name, then waited for the client to give her a reason. "Hmm. Understandable. Alright, we'll await his visit and deliver it as soon as the package is safely in our hands. May I have your name?" Rebecca paused, then wrote down a name. "Tsunade? Strange name."


	2. Chapter 2

Naruto: A TaleSpin Tale

Chapter 2: Pirates... and Old Friends!

All was quiet in Higher for Hire. The only sound being heard was the sound of a pencil striking a desk, but that was being drowned out by the sound of several loud snores. One snore was so loud, that the bedroom door opened and closed as the owner of the snore inhaled and exhaled.

Rebecca stopped writing, then stood up. She walked to the edge of her desk. A twitch visible on her brows. She placed a hand on her hip. She just sighed as the snores continued. Then she reached across her desk and pulled out a megaphone from nowhere. She cleared her throat.

"Wake up!" She yelled. Her voice ripping through the building and echoing off the walls. "We have a job to do!"

After her yell. It became deafly silent. Then, a thump was heard, followed by a loud yelp. Then a groan followed.

"Sorry about that, Naruto." Baloo's voice was heard. Naruto moaned in pain. "What were you doing down there in the first place?"

"I have no idea…" Naruto replied back.

Minutes later, all Rebecca heard was them scrambling around like rats. Probably getting dressed and brushing there teeth. She just shook her head as she waited patiently. Megaphone still in her hand, just incase one of her workers decided to nap.

Before she can yell again, she saw Naruto stumble down the stairs like a zombie. His fur all disheveled. For the first time, she saw him without his trench coat, and only wearing a while muscle shirt which revealed his muscles. Instead of his being straight, they were bent as if something sat on it. His tail waved lazily. And before she started blushing, she snapped from her thoughts as Baloo ran out of the room, only to trip and tumbled down the stairs. Right into the zombified Naruto. Both yelped and screamed as they tumbled and rolled down the stairs. They landed in a heap right in front of Rebecca.

"That kinda made my day." She said with a smile as she walked back to her desk and sat down. She picked up a piece of paper, and looked at the nearby clock. "We have a delivery today."

Baloo stood up and stretched. Before realizing he was still standing on Naruto. He quickly helped Naruto to his feet, who looked worse for wear.

"What we delivering?" Baloo asked. He rubbed his paws all over Naruto to fix up his disheveled state. He needed to be presentable to his boss after all. Naruto just looked annoyed.

"It's a small package. It's going to a small jungle island." She told them, barely noticing that Naruto's eyes went wider, which only got wider at her next words. "It's a medical research facility. They specialize in finding diseases and ways to cure them. The island is marked on the map."

"What's in the package?" Naruto asked as he approached the desk.

"A small flower." Rebecca answered. "The client said it will revolutionize the future. The professor will come by in a hour with more details."

Naruto and Baloo looked to each other, the nod. "We'll get it done, boss lady!"

Naruto saluted, but she could see he was still distracted ever since she mentioned the location. "I have a green thumb, so, I won't let you down."

Rebecca just watched them go. She shook her head. She hoped everything would go smoothly. The reason why the Professor didn't deliver it himself, was a very simple reason.

"Pirates…" She said under her breath. Don Karnage was very incompetent, but even he can be pushed. And with people thinking the plant is some kind of weapon, no telling what other people might want in on it.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

An hour later…

Baloo was lying on his hammock on the dock. Naruto meanwhile was slurping up some noodles in a bowl with chop sticks, while he sat on the edge of the dock. His feet gliding across the water and his hat keeping the sun from his face, but his muzzle appears to be sizzling. Baloo was slowly drifting off as the only sounds that were heard was the ocean waves and the sounds of slurping. Naruto slurped a noodle, then turned to the bear.

"Why isn't kit going?" Naruto asked through his slurps.

"Becky forced him into going to school. It's for the best." He looked at his watch. "Where is this guy?"

Naruto was about to echo that question until a creak was heard. Upon turning around, he saw a cat walking down the dock. A pink and orange flower in a pot sat in his paws. He had on a brown helmet like hat, and from the looks of the rest of his clothing, he looked like he just came from the desert.

"This must be him." Naruto stated. He finished slurping his noodles and stood up. Baloo yawned and hopped off his hammock with a grunt. The man approached them, and Naruto could see that the man was nervous, and judging by the way he was holding the plant, he had a good idea why the man was nervous.

"I take it this is Higher for Hire? And you two must be Baloo and Naruto?" The man said with a slight stutter in his voice. "I am Professor Catney."

"Nice to meet ya." Baloo greeted while Naruto tipped his hat. "What's the story with the plant?"

"This plant isn't just any plant. It contains a special enzyme that can be used to make medicine." He gently handed the plant to Naruto. "I personally believe this plant's history stretched back to the ancient days. Which could be the reason people lived so long. With this, could possibly cure almost any disease."

"Wow." Baloo whispered with Naruto doing the same.

"Very. It must be watered very often. At least several times a day. And make sure it absorbs plenty of sun." The man let out a cough as he started to get excited about talking about the plant. "This plant was a chore to find. Located it in a tomb deep in the desert. Someone must've wanted the plant in the afterlife with him…"

As the man started to rumble on and on, his stutter even seemed to fade, a question popped up in his head. Something that made him curious.

"Excuse me, Professor…?" Naruto said as he examined the plant. The Professor stopped talking, much to Baloo's relief and turned to Naruto. "Do you by any chance know a woman named Tsunade?"

The man scratched his chin, then snapped his fingers. "She's the head researcher and doctor at the facility." He replied. "Never actually met her, just talked with her over the phone. When word got out of my discovery. She was the first to contact me."

"Tsunade is like a grandma to me. So, I don't want to let her down." Naruto said.

"Don't worry, Professor. The plant will be safe with us." Was Baloo's reply with a puff of his chest.

The man let out a smile as they waved and began walking towards the large yellow plane. He was about to turn around, until he saw the young Fox trip over a loose board. The flower went into the air and did a few spins. The bear tried to catch it, but tripped over the downed fox. He watched helplessly as the plant headed towards the ground.

"Idiots!" Rebecca yelled as she caught the plant gently. Luckily she was walking by to wish the guys luck. "This is very fragile. Wildcat built a small greenhouse for the plant in the plane. Now…" She handed it to Naruto. "…put it in the greenhouse!"

Startled, both Baloo and Naruto rushed to the plane. Professor Catney finally started to get his color back. He just waved at the Higher for Hire crew and slowly crept away before something else happened.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

The Iron Vulture…

Don Karnage sat on his 'throne'. A bored look on his face.

"So bored. Why is there nothing that needs plundering!" He snapped his finger. Two pirates appeared before him. One very large, the other small.

"You called, Captain?" Mad Dog said in a nasally voice.

"Yes. Yes." Karnage waved. "Entertaineth me!"

Mad Dog and Dumptruck look to each other. "Um…" Dumptruck began. He looked at Mad Dog, both wondering what to do.

"Come on!" The Pirate Captain squawked. His foot tapped against the metal floor. "I'm getting im-pat-ient…"

Sweat began to pour from Dumptruck like a waterfall. Then without thinking, he slammed his large fist down onto Mad Dog's head.

"Ow…" Mad Dog whined. "What was that fo-" Another hit. Mad Dog's head and neck now looked like an accordion. A smile slowly begin to creep up on Karnage's muzzle.

Karnage stomped his feet and slapped his knees as he laughed. "Hahaha!" He kept laughing until Gibber walked over and whispered into his ear. Karnage's eye twitched as he saw Mad Dog grabbing a hammer and slammed it into Dumptruck's head. He kept pounding and pounding his head like a nail, Dumptruck was even slowly sinking into the metal floor. He kept pounding until… "Enough!" He turned back to Gibber. "What was that about a doll?" Gibber whispered again. "Santa…?" Gibber slapped his face, then whisper yelled into his Captain's ear. Karnage looked thoughtful. "A weapon of massive destruction?" Gibber sighed in relief. Karnage rubbed his hands together. "That _is _better than some stupid dolly!" Gibber whispered again, although he looked a little frustrated. "Ooh… we shall create an ambush!" Another whisper. "Where _do _I come up with these things?"

Gibber just looked annoyed at his captain, while Mad Dog and Dumptruck resume their antics.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

The Sea Duck flew out of the canyon that protects Cape Suzette. Inside the plane, Naruto stood before a small green walk in box. A green house. In the middle of the box, was the plant on a pedestal. Wildcat designed it so that the little green house will capture moisture. But that didn't stop Naruto from caring for the plant himself.

"Hey, Baloo…" Naruto called as he entered the small green house with a watering can. "I was thinking of asking Rebecca to dinner once we got back." He gently watered the plant. Watching the water run down the petals and down the leaves.

"About time." Baloo laughed. " I was afraid I was gonna have to give you the _talk_." Baloo flipped a switch, and he released the steering wheel and just sat there relaxed. "Hmm… I still need to give Kit the talk."

"I had to give a kid that looked up to me the talk once." Naruto shook his head. He sat down in the navigators seat. "Wasn't pretty." Baloo laughed as they flew over they flew over the beautiful blue ocean.

With still a ways to go, and still on cruise control. Baloo decided to start up another conversation with his new partner.

"Speaking of Rebecca, you ever been in love?" Baloo asked as a way to better understand the fox.

Naruto sighed. "I've dated a few girls." Naruto scratched his chin, then watched the blue ocean. "Was even engaged once."

Baloo, who just closed his eyes, cracked one open. "Really?"

Naruto leaned back in his chair. "Long story…"

"And it's a long ride…" Baloo replied with a wink.

Naruto laughed. "Her name is Hinata. Things didn't work out between us…"

Hours later. The afternoon shone brightly. The glare off the ocean caused the occupants of the sea duck to shield their eyes.

"My mom was sure upset we called off the wedding. Hinata's father was happy though." Naruto now had the plant in front of him so it could absorb the sunlight. "She understood. Our likes were just very different. And we discovered we didn't really love each other as more than friends. And we wanted something different out of life. She wanted to get stronger and make her family proud. I just wanted to leave the village and go on adventures. Which is why I wanted to join Higher for Hire. I even asked her to come with me, but she didn't want to leave her family."

"That was beautiful." A tear stained Baloo said. "What happened to her?"

Naruto rubbed the plant leaf. "When I talked to my mom, she said Hinata fell in love with an old friend of mine. He's a pilot and a scientist." He sighed. "And I think I may be falling for Rebecca…"

"Love at first sight, huh." Baloo told him. A glint appeared on his rear view mirror. "She's great once you get to know her. And she loves adventure…" He looked closer, and his eyes widened just as the radio sprung to life.

"_Greetings and Salivations, Balooie!" _A Familiar voice came through the radio.

Naruto raised a brow. "Who is he?"

"Don Karnage." He picked up the radio. "It's Salutations, Don Gar-bage! Who do I owe this visit?"

"_It's Karnage! Kar-nage! Ya stupid big bear!" _Karnage yelled. _"Now, please hand over the weapon of great destruction. Thank you."_

Baloo and Naruto shared a look. "Weapon…?" Naruto asked. Baloo just shook his head and nodded towards the plant. "How dumb is he."

"Very. But the plant could be used for destruction. If in competent hands." He smirked, then picked up the radio. "Sorry Karnagie! But no can do. No weapon here."

Suddenly several bullets ripped through the plane. Naruto covered and shielded the plant as the bullets whizzed by. Naruto turned to Baloo. "Was that really such a good idea?" He looked at his mirror, only to see several Biplanes and Triplanes getting closer and closer."

"As long as it keeps them away from Cape Suzette." Was Baloo's answer to that. The plane swerved left and right. But as Baloo looked at their location, he smirked. Several more bullets rip into the Sea Duck, hitting the front of the plane. Baloo suddenly twisted the steering wheel. "Hang on." Naruto held onto the plant, and glad he tightened his seatbelt. The seaduck did a spin. A few bullets struck the plane again, but most splashed into the water. The Baloo jerked the wheel. The planed started to fly upwards.

"What are you doing?" Naruto asked. He still had a protective grip on the plant. As they got higher, Naruto gasped. He looked into the mirror. The pirates were still seen, but their planes were stalling out one by one.

Baloo suddenly cuts the engine's power. Naruto closed his eyes as they began to spiral downwards. Passing the pirates and headed towards the water at a fast pace. Naruto turned green, but still held onto the plant.

As they were about to hit the water, Baloo started the engine and pulled up. The floats on the plane glided along the water until the plane lifted up. The pirates weren't so lucky as they impacted the water. Smoke poured from their engines as the heat of the engines met cool ocean water.

From his Triplane, Karnage looked at his men floating in the water. He just shook his head at the sight. "Morons! How many times must you fall for the same trick!"

Mad Dog sat on his sinking plane. "Buuut… we didn't expect him to pull the same trick twice…"

Karnage flew past his men, but heard Dumptruck yell. "This is the hundredth time I believe."

"Shut up!" Karnage heard, followed by a splash.

He reached for the radio and was about to speak, but failed to see several slices of pineapple. They covered his muzzle.

Baloo laughed as he ate a piece of pineapple. Next to him, Naruto started to get his color back. He saw a huge stack of pineapples in a box in the back, which nearly made him turn green again.

"That my friend, was a tail spin." Baloo explained. "If you can't handle it, then you'll be swimming." He saw Karnage still behind him. "Where's the island?"

Naruto pulled out a map from the glove box. He unrolled it and looked at it, then glanced out the window. He saw several islands, but then he saw one with what looked like a large building on it. "There! It must be that one!"

Baloo nodded and made a sharp tune, just as bullets ripped into the dashboard. Smoke started to come out..

"My baby!" Baloo gasped out. A bullet whizzed by his head and struck near the steering wheel. "She can't take much more." His eyes widened as he saw more planes in front of them. "Dang… more pirates!" Naruto also noticed the planes. But these planes look different than the ones attacking them. His eyes widened. On the side of the planes was a leaf. A familiar leaf.

The radio came to life. Luckily, all of the bullets didn't get lucky and kill their means of communication.

"_Sea Plane!" _A male voice spoke. His voice had a commanding tone, but also cautious. _"This is Kakashi of the Konoha military! Come in!"_

Baloo smiled and picked up the radio. But as he started to talk, it was snatched by Naruto. He just looked at his friend with curiosity.

"Kakashi?" Naruto replied. "It's Naruto!"

"_Naruto!?" _Three voices yelled as one. _"We were worried sick!" _Kakashi's voice came in. Naruto saw the three planes fly by, but turned around and flew next to them

"Is that Shika and Kiba?" Naruto asked, as he saw that each of the planes had familiar clan symbols on them. The plane on the right of the Sea Duck had a white wolf with an eye patch on it. The plane next to Naruto, he saw a familiar gray dog waving from the controls. In front of them, they saw the back of a brown sloth. He gave a lazily wave behind him. "What are you guys doing here?"

"_Konoha runs the facility." _Shika answered, which Naruto nodded to. He should've realized that since he heard Tsunade was the head researcher. _"We're here to protect the island."_

Before Naruto can say anything, Baloo interrupted him. "Sorry to interrupt this reunion, but…" He left hanging, just as bullets whizzed by.

"Kakashi! We have the package!" Naruto yelled out. He saw the three planes swerving and dodging as they tried to avoid the gunfire. "Cover us while we land!"

The three planes turned as one and headed for the pirates. _"We'll handle it!" _

The Sea Plane reached the island and they began to look for a place to land. They saw a runway and other large clearing near the large building, but unfortunately their plane can only land on water. Naruto saw a dock directly under them. He nodded to Baloo, who turned the plan in response. Behind them, Naruto saw the remaining pirates parachuting from their flaming planes.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Baloo and Naruto were now walking through a small jungle. From the sky, they saw the building not too far from the docks. The followed a small trail, which they saw once they landed the plane.

Naruto adjusted the plan in his arm as he walked. "Are all of our deliveries going to be like this?"

"You'd be surprised." Baloo replied. He used a machete as hacked away the braches that kept slapping him in the face. What kind of person allowed a trail to have an infestation of overgrown trees and branches. "Who were those three that saved our tail?"

"Some old friends from back home." Naruto started. "My father used to be a pilot. He trained Kakashi. And I went to school with the other two."

They continued to walk in silence, until they came upon a clearing. They looked around and saw a sign in the corner. It had two arrows. One pointed to the way they just came, the other pointed down another small trail. They were about to continue on, but a rustle was heard.

"Finally caught you, Baalooo." A voice said. They quickly turned and saw Karnage as he walked out from the woods. He was followed by Mad Dog, Dumptruck and Gibber. Baloo held his machete up like a sword. Karnage paused in his next words as he saw Naruto, he was expecting Kit. "And who is your foxy friend?"

"Naruto…" Naruto replied. "It's a pleasure. But, how did you get past my friends?"

Karnage nodded. "At least someone has some respect…" He turned and pointed at his men. "…unlike you three twinkle toes!" He shook his head, and turned to his prey. "We just used the element of surprise… and my submarine." He looked around for the weapon. "Like taking candy from a baby child…"

"Ha! He called you twinkle toes!" Dumptruck pointed at Mad Dog.

The Pirate Captain ignored his bickering men and looked at the Higher for Hire crew. "Now!" He yanked out his rusty sword. "Where is the…" He saw the plant in Naruto's hand. "…weapon? What is with the flower?"

As he stood there confused about the plant. A woman walked onto the scene. A female cougar. Her yellow fur covered with a white lab coat, which was opened and revealed her busty nature. Behind her were several more people in lab coats.

"You brought the package!" The woman yanked the flower from Naruto. She rubbed and examined the flower. Naruto raised a brow as she didn't even notice him.

Don Karnage and his men just stood there. Confused. "A flower? That's the package?" He scratched his head. "Where is this weapon of massive destruction?!"

"Weapon?" The woman asked. "This little guy here is going to help produce medicine. Which you guys will probably be using in the future."

Karnage just stood there. He couldn't find any thing to say to the sexy woman. He turned to Gibber, who was slowly creeping away. "Oh… no you don't! You're the one who said it was a weapon!" He leaned down as Gibber whispered in his ear. Karnage frowned, then gave a powerful kick to Gibber's rear. "How did you mistake _flora _for fire power?" Gibber just shrugged. Karnage turned to the group, who are currently staring at them. "Well… this is how you say… a tactical retreating." He quickly turned and run. "Back to the submarine!"

As the group watched the pirates run off, Naruto approached the woman. She shook her head and went back to examining the plant. But is shaken from her thoughts at a familiar voice.

"Grandma Tsunade!" Naruto called. "Great of you to notice me!"

The female cougar turned her head in surprise. She didn't even see him. The boy that she always thought of as a grandson. She looked him up and down. He was wearing the same hat that his father usually wears, mainly to see girls reactions. And he looked taller. It's been at least over a year since she seen him, but she did keep contact with Kushina every few days. And both woman still had an urge to slap him silly over the canceled wedding awhile back.

"Naruto…?" She asked. She ignored the 'grandma' remark like she usually does. "What are you doing here?"

"You kinda hired me…" Naruto said. Tsunade tilted her head with a curious expression. "I work from Higher for Hire now, along with my new friend, Baloo."

Tsunade nodded. She gently handed the plant to another woman wearing a lab coat. She was a purple panther that Naruto recognized. She gave him a gentle smile.

"I bet you boys are tired." she told them as the everyone started walking down the trail that leads to the facility. "Come. We can catch up at the facility."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto sipped some of his coffee. Steam floated around his nose, and the scent was pleasurable to him. Shizune always knew how to make coffee. The said panther smiled as she sat down at the table where he and Tsunade were.

"How do you like your new home?" Tsunade asked. They were in a lounge area. Around the room, instead of walls, was see through glass instead. People in rush about the place. Tsunade raised her brow when she saw Baloo being given the tour by Kakashi.

"I love it." Naruto said. He placed the coffee down, and his eyes grew thoughtful. "And I made a lot of new friends."

Shizune saw the look in his eye, and just smiled as she placed a deck of cards on the table and began to deal them out.

"I know what that means." She said, she held a card in her paw, then flipped it around to reveal the queen of hearts. "He's found a girl."

"Shizune!" Naruto groaned out.

"What?" Shizune asked. "You had the same look in your eyes…"

Tsunade tuned them out for a second. She began to place two and two together. She remembered that Miss Cunningham she talked to over the phone, and now that she knew Naruto worked for her… she gave a hidden smile and made a mental note to contact Kushina.

She shook from her thoughts as Naruto yelled, "Too much information!"

"What? If I don't get the information I need, I'll start to imagine things." Shizune mumbled.

Tsunade once again raised her brow. "Anyway, you and the bear can stay here tonight." She picked up her cards, and smiled at seeing a pair of kings and a pair of queens on the first deal. "While we get caught up, you can tell us all about the things that happened after you left the village."

Naruto sighed as he looked at his cards, but for anyone that knew him, it was a fake sigh. He was actually very happy. But it's gonna be a long night. He looked at his hand, and couldn't stop the smirk from spreading on his face. Three sevens. That'll put a sour look on the 'Legendary Sucker'. What could possible go wrong with such good luck?"

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Somewhere in Cape Suzette…

Three figures stood in the shadows. One figure had yellow eyes, but from the moonlight that shone in, his yellow eyes burned brightly. The two figures next to him watched their boss in silence. All that was coming from the one with yellow eyes, was a hiss and slither.

"So…" The figure stood next to a window. As he talked, his words sound more like hiss. Buildings were seen outside. "…this is Cape Suzette?"

"Doesn't look so special." One of the other figures spoke. "What do we do next?"

"Stir up trouble, of course." The boss hissed out. "Why not start out with a bang." Through the darkness, his tongue could be seen slithering around like a snakes. "Like a ransom."

The figure chuckled, then threw something onto a nearby table. And from the moonlight, it was a newspaper that was opened up to the ad page.


End file.
